It’s been a quiet week with no appointments, no hockey, nothing to do except let those antibiotics do their thing. But maybe that wasn’t the best way to spend a full week … because too much free time can emphasize the missing of both Jim and Vern and some of the other heavy stuff I’m […]
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Timber
Yesterday was Father’s Day and our 6th one without Tony. A week ago, I checked in with the kids and once again they didn’t care to do anything special. So, we had no plans for the day. I had been putting off yard work for longer than I care to admit. I’m not a tall […]
Welcome Summer and Happy Paw Dad Day
Tomorrow is the official first day of summer, the longest day of the year. Abundant sunlight often extends the hours of our days long after 6:00pm with those bright rays lingering even three hours later. This has always been my favorite time of the year. I think for some people that are grieving the […]
Only Happy When It Rains
(Reposting from almost exactly 2 years ago as I’ve had another crazy week with emergency vet care for my kitty, Freya.) Mario wasn’t one of those guys who carried on and complained or wilted like a flower when he was sick or had some physical pain. His tolerance was high, bolstered by a masochistic tendency. […]
Return to Deer Tick Manor
For no real reason, last night I made a virtual, stealthy visit back to Deer Tick Manor. As best I could discern, the place is not currently on the market, which I was happy to see. According to both Zillow and Realtor.com, Deer Tick has appreciated in value substantially since 2022, when I sold it […]
Happy Birthday, Mi Amor ❤️🩹
Hi, baby. It’s me. I’m sorry I haven’t written to you until now. But I know you know. I tried and I just couldn’t. My heart too broken, the pain too deep, the rage too strong. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. It’s funny. Well, not haha funny, but you know what I mean. […]
Widow Brain
Facebook can sneak into our lives without us initially realizing what they are up to. Using AI they create these beautiful stories that feel like a real person wrote it – but they’re really just selling their product. I’ve nearly fallen for them in the past, but now I try to remember to look to […]
We had the Meats
When Tony died, he left us with a deep freezer full of meat. There were supplies for smoking BBQ, like ribs and pork butts likely purchased on sale. He also had vacuum sealed BBQ he’d already cooked saved for us to reheat later. We had ordered beef and pork from farmers, so there were cuts […]
Allowing Nostalgia to Evolve
Every year when I was a kid, throughout the 1970’s and 80’s, my extended family would take a road trip to San Diego to visit family. During the era of no-seatbelt-laws, thirteen (13!) of us would pile into the family orange Dodge Van with the bubble windows, back area that turned into a huge bed, […]
Creative Inspiration and The Path Forward
Typically, around mid-week, I start to focus on writing my post for Widow’s Voice. Most often, I have an idea of what I’ll write about, but sometimes, I really don’t know until I open the proverbial blank page and just write in the moment. I was actually going to write about my art and literary […]
A picture is worth a 1000 words.
I’m low on sleep and was having trouble coming up with something to write about, so I gave myself a challenge. Find an old photo with Mario and put 1000 words to it. So here we go. Oddly, the photo I’ve selected was taken right around this time (June) exactly 6 years ago. Here’s the […]
Why June Is My Most Challenging Month
Whenever I choose, I can fill my head with swirls of happier images, my sense impressions of my life with Lee. I don’t need to look at our wedding photographs to conjure these emotions; indeed, I couldn’t tell you the last time I sat down to peruse the album of wedding photographs in my bookcase. […]